Head of National COVID-19 Task Force Volunteers for Trials of COVID-19 Vaccine

Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo, as Head of the National COVID-19 Task Force, delivers a press statement. (Photo by: Cabinet Secretariat Doc.)

Head of the National COVID-19 Task Force Doni Monardo has signed up to become a volunteer for COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, announced spokesperson of COVID-19 Task Force Wiku Adisasmito, during a press conference at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Thursday (13/8).

“This is part of the Government’s commitment to provide the maximum protection for all Indonesian people through vaccination program,” he said.

According to Wiku, on Tuesday (11/8), President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo inspected a vaccine production facility at state-owned pharmaceutical PT Bio Farma in Bandung, West Java Province.

“The Government is optimistic about the development of COVID-19 vaccine,” he said.

Currently, he added, the world is eagerly waiting for the COVID-19 vaccine. He also said that the Government is also taking measures to make breakthroughs in vaccine development.

After four months against the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has started the phase III clinical trials of a potential vaccine. “We hope that vaccine discovery can protect the entire communities,” Wiku said.

For the record, state-owned pharmaceutical PT Bio Farma has cooperated with Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech in developing the vaccine. The current clinical trials have ntered phase III while phase I and phase II had been carried out in China.

The COVID-19 vaccine will be mass-produced once the safety and efficacy of the vaccine had been successfully proven. For the record, there are 1,620 volunteers for clinical trials  carried out at Padjadjaran University’s Medical School in Bandung, West Java Province. (Tim Komunikasi Komite Penanganan Covid-19 dan PEN/EN)

Translated by: Syarifah Aisyah
Reviewed by: Mia Medyana